Separator or classifier for ore pulp and the like



Aug. 7, 1934.

SEPARATOR OR CLASSIFIER FOR ORE PULP AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 23, 1932 D. M LEAN 1,969,619

Patented Aug. 7, 1934 Donald 'MacLean, Brakpan, Transvaal, Union of South Africa 7 p Application January, it, 1932, serial it... 5883 19- In Union. of South Africa. November 23;; 1931.

This inventionrelates-"to separators or classi-f fiers applicable for use in the'treatment'of ore pulp and other similar mixtures of solids and liquids.

More particularly the invention appertains toclassifiers of the mechanical type adapted for the treatment of an unclassified pulp or mixture of oreparticles inwater or other liquid.

Although more especially designed. for the treatment of ore pulp and other similar mixtures of solids and liquids, the separator or classifier can also be used for'the separation or classification of any granular material which hasbee'n mixed with water or other liquid, inorder to separate the solid material, or any desired por-' of the mixture or pulp, and one in which the separated coarser product can'be obtained in a substantially dry state.

According to the invention the classifier or separator includes a stationary tank or-vessel provided with a conical bottom which is up@- wardly inclined in the direction of the centreof the tank or vessel. The cone forming the "conical bottom is short or shallow, and the trun-' cated. upper end thereof provides a central open-v,

or outlet for the separated or classified coarser product.

Means are provided for introducing the 'ore" pulp or mixture near the wall-of the tankfor vessel on the inside, and in a preferably substantially tangential direction, and the tank or vessel is constructed to provide a discharge opening lor the water or other 'liqui'd'and associatedfiner component of the'mixture, which outlet is placed atthe rear of the inlet relative. to the direction of the. swirling movement of the mixture in the tank or vessel.

Means are provided which operate to dis-- charge the coarser solid component through the central discharge opening. These means may be of such a construction that they will impart or aid the swirling. motion. of the mixture inside the tank or vessel and maybe inthe forniof-va:

wherein a practical embodiment of the same illustrated-l v In the drawing, Fig. 1 isacentra-l sectional elevation of the" classifier-or separator, I Fig.2 is a plan thereof, and Fig. 3'-is a sectional elevation through the one side of the vessel; looking in the direction of the tangential inlet for the pulp or mixture, the plane'of section being indicated by the dottedline :r:r in Fig. 2.

The-tank or vessel which, as shown, is preferablycylindrical", includes the metal casing 1,- which forms the verti'calwall thereof, and the conical bottom 2'. The upper edge of the tank or vessel is shown strengthened by an angle ironring 3, and the conical bottom 2 is flanged and secured to the-casing 1 by means of the angle iron ring- 4. dis a stifiening angle iron ring-arranged within and secured to the underside of theconical bottom 2, and 6, '7, are rests for the-tank or vessel.

The bottom 2 isprovided on the inside of the tanker vessel with alining 8 of concrete or other material of suitable thickness. As shown more particularly inFig': the conical bottom 2, 8, is truncated at'iits upper end-and provides a large central vertical passage or outlet 9; l0 being a discharge pipasecured to the tank bottom 2 by ringer flange 11, below theopening 9, for theseparated or classifiedcoarser product which passes-through said outlet 9. 1 As seen more par-- ticularly in Fig. 1 the conical-bottom 2 and its lining 8am in the' form of a short orshallow conef'w-hich is upwardly inclined from the bottem edge of'the casingl in the direction of the centre of'the tank or vessel.

In the wall lfo-f the tank or vessel and near itsup per edgethere is provided the inlet forthc pulp'or mixture to be treated." The inlet is, shown fitted with an elbow piece 12- fordeli'vering, the inflowin'g stream of pulp to the tank substantially 'tang'entially' to' the wall of the same. 13 is' a box or receptacle for receiving the" pulp or mixture, from" which box l3 thepul'p flows Ito the tank Orvessl through the elbow'j piece 1'2,- and 14" representsfin dotted lines,v al'aunder' or trough" for leading the mixture: or' pulpfinto the :box 'orreceptacle 13''. "I"thew lforside-'1 or the tank or vessel; at some distance to the rear of the inlet pipe 12 relative to the direction of the inlet flow'indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2 there is provided an outlet or discharge opening 15 for the separated or classified fine or undersize productand the bulk of the water or solution. The discharge outlet 15, as shown, is adjustable as to height or level of the discharge lip 16. For this purpose a portion of the side 1 of the tank may be cut away to a suitable depth, and constructed with guideways 17 to receive removable slats 18 to adjust the height of the discharge level or lip 16, over which the 'mixture fiows into a suitable launder or trough 19'by-means of which it may be conducted to any desired point. The launder 19 is shown constructed of some considerable depth so asto receive the overflow over the lip 16 or through the opening 15" at any height or level within the range of adjustment of the lip 16.

In the embodiment of the invention illus trated rotating means are provided inside the tank or vessel for discharging the coarser separated component of the mixture through the discharge outlet opening 9, and aiding'to impart the swirling, or circular motion to the pulp. these means are shown in the form or a spiral rake device or scraper blade 20, one end 21 of which extendsto within a short distance of the .wall 1 of the tank and the other to a point 22 above one side of the central outlet opening 9 in the conical bottom 2. The lower edge of the spiral rake or scraper 2O conforms to the shape of the, conical bottom 2 of the tank, and projects to within a short distance of the samesee Fig. 1. I

23 is a suspended driving shaft for imparting a horizontal rotary motion to the rake or scraper 20, on the lower end of which shaft 23 "is fixed a boss 23a to which is attached a plurality of downwardly inclined radial arms 24, to which the spiral rake or scraper blade 20 is rigidly attached by means of brackets 25,

In the inner convolutions of the spiral rake -"or blade 20 there is shown provided a number of holes 26 in spiral formation. These holes will allow any or" the water or liquid and fine solid component of the pulp in suspensiontherein' to fiow from theinner in the direction of the outer coils of the spiral rake or scraper.

The means whereby the shaft 23 is suspended centrally above the tank or vessel includes three 1 parallel beams or girders 27, 28, 29, two angle iron frames 30, 31, fixed to the girders 28, 29, respectively, and a transverse plate 32 carried by the said frames 30, 31. On theplate 32 is arranged a ball bearing 33 by which the vertical driving shaft 23 "is suspended; 34, 35, being steady bearings for the shaft.23 carried by Plates 36, 3'7, respectively, fixed tothe beams or girders 28, 29.. The plate-.36 acts as a splash plate and prevents the pulp being splashed on to the worm drive. 38 is a worm wheel fixed on the shaft 23, which wormwheel runs in an oil bath. in a casing 39; 40. being the coverfplate forthe casing 39', and 41 a cover or casing for the,, ball bearing. 42 is an eye-piece fixed to the upper end of the shaft- 23 ,and enclosed by the casing 41, which ring or eye-piece 42 can be used "for lifting the shaft 23 and theattached spiral rake or scraper device, if and when desired.v 43 is the worm shaft which is carried in a bear-,- ing 44 on the girders 2'7, 28, and bearings 45,, 46, provided in opposite sides of the casing 39.

On the. shaft 43, in .the casing 39, between bearings 45, 46, is provided the worm 47 which engages with and drives the worm-wheel 38, which in turn imparts the rotary motion to the shaft 23 and through it to the rake or scraper blade 20. 48 is a driving pulley on the shaft 43 and 49 a shaft coupling. 50 is a thrust bearing for the shaft 43 inside the casing 39.; v

On the top of the radial arms 24, in proximity to their outer ends, there is secured by hookshaped bolts 52 a downwardly and outwardly inclined annular plate or shield 51 which operates to distribute the pulp around the interior wall 1 of the tank. This plate 51 is provided around its upper edge with a vertical splash fiange53.

In the operation of this embodiment of the inventiornthe pulp .or mixture to be treated flows-in a tangential direction from the inlet elbow piece 12 down between the rim or periphery of the distribution plate or shield 51 and the wall 1 ofthe tank or vessel, into the space in the latter in which the spiral rake device. or scraper 20 operates. fiuence of the rotary motion of the spiral rake or scraper 20 and the tangential inflow of the pulp, the heavier or coarser particles of the mixture are caused to move up the inclined bottom 2 towards the central outlet orifice 8 in the top thereof, whence they pass through the outlet or'discharge pipe 10, while the water or solu- Under the action or intion and the fine or undersize product pass out of the tank or vessel over the discharge lip 16, the height or level of which will have been adjusted to efiect the desired result, according to the nature of the pulp or mixture to be treated and the size of the particles of the product to be separated.

The forces which are set up or developed due like, including a stationary vessel. for receiving the pulp to be treated, said vessel having a.

rightconical bottom in the form of an upright truncated shallow cone, the angle of which is less than the angle of repose of the solid material which is deposited thereon, which cone is constructed at its upper truncated end to provide a central discharge outletfor the coarser separated product, said vessel also having a peripheral outlet for the finer product and liquid,

means for introducing into the vessel near the. top the pulp to be treated, in a substantially tangential direction,-and a rotating continuous spiral blade for discharging the separated coarser material through the central discharge outlet, said spiral blade being so arranged that its lower edge is at a short distance above the conical bottom, and constructed so that the sides are substantially vertical, as set forth. I

DONALD :MACLEAN'. 

